Dow's McGrew dealing with mysterious ailment

By Fred Kellyfred.kelly@mdn.net

Published 7:00 pm, Thursday, November 5, 2009

MOUNT PLEASANT — If Taryn McGrew were healthy, you could describe her senior volleyball season as excellent. But when you consider what her body is putting her through, her performance is better described as downright remarkable.

McGrew, Dow High's dominant outside hitter, has battled through both an abdominal disorder and a thyroid disease to lead the Chargers to their first Saginaw Valley League title since 1993 and a berth in Saturday's Class A district final.

She said she has been dealing with both health problems for about two years now, and that her condition has grown worse in recent months.

"I think it gets worse with stress," she noted. "And this is my senior year, so I'm more stressed out."

On one hand, McGrew is suffering from an as-yet-unidentified abdominal issue which causes both pain and fatigue. She said she has undergone a multitude of tests, and doctors have narrowed the possibilities down to either gall bladder disease or a colon disorder.

She said she will see a surgeon on Nov. 16, and she hopes to receive a definitive diagnosis at that time.

"This is the closest we've been to finding out what's wrong," she said Thursday after Dow defeated Midland High in a district semifinal. "For the past couple of years, they've been saying it's acid reflux or a food allergy.

"It's been really tough trying to find out what it is," she added. "Sometimes, that's more frustrating than the actual pain."

On the other hand, McGrew is also suffering from Hashimoto's disease — a condition in which one's immune system attacks the thyroid gland, thus causing the thyroid to not produce the hormones it should, according to familydoctor.org. Common symptoms of Hashimoto's disease include a swollen and irritated thyroid and fatigue.

There is no known cure for Hashimoto's, and McGrew said she has tried various medications to try to control it, but nothing has worked well so far.

"I throw up every day, I can't eat certain foods, and it's really hard for me to make it through the day, because I'm totally exhausted," McGrew said.

She added that her abdominal disorder can be excruciating.

"It's painful. Sometimes, I double over crying because of the intense pain," she said. "It's sharp pain, like cramps, and it hurts to breathe. Sometimes, I get attacks and for hours I'm just bawling the entire time, because I can't breathe very well."

As a result, Dow coach Kristin Eddy has regularly rotated McGrew in and out of the Chargers' lineup. McGrew said it has been frustrating to have to sit on the bench for long stretches. At the same time, she applauded her teammates for picking up the slack.

"I always want to be on the court and just play," she noted. "But I know if I get too tired, then I'm useless to the team. I just trust my teammates and let them do what they can do and hope it turns out well."

Eddy speaks highly of McGrew's toughness.

"She has that never-say-die (attitude)," Eddy said. "She just keeps pushing through (adversity). I think that attests to her character."